Kortright's Expedition
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     One Indian only was sent forward in the regular path in front of the little garrison; all the rest had approached unobserved, and occupied elevations on every side, where they were securely posted behind tree-trunks, with their fingers on the triggers of their guns awaiting the signal of death from their leader.  Graham had just been very deliberately taking a drink from a rivulet near his camp; and as he rose, he saw an Indian in the path and directed his men to fire.  Just as they aimed, the Indian fell upon his face, and the balls whistled harmlessly over his head.  The next instant he was again upon his feet, and disappeared among the bushes as a murderous volley was poured into Graham's men from every side. Only two men, besides Van Campen, escaped, who made the best of their way back to the fort to carry the news of the massacre.  Never was a flock of wild birds more effectually and skillfully taken in a fowler's net.  History does not record the name of the leader of the Indians, but the generalship exhibited in the affair leaves little doubt that he was the celebrated Colonel Brant.
     It was thought necessary to send a force of three hundred men to bury the dead. When the detachment arrived the bodies were falling to pieces from putrefaction, and were so offensive that the work of burial was with difficulty performed.  They found them all scalped, and divested of every article that could be of any use; but their persons were not mangled as was frequently the case, with the exception of Graham's, which some declare was disemboweled.  The bodies were buried in trenches on the spot where they fell.  The troops had considerable sport with one of the men who escaped.  During his hasty fight, in jumping across a brook, his bayonet had stuck into the ground, and he had left his gun, not taking time to pull it out.  It was found to be loaded and all the cartridges were in the box; so it was evident that he had not once fired his piece.
     Some years since a party came to the Chestnut woods to ascertain the precise spot where the unfortunate slain were laid.  They did not succeed, though some were then living who could point to the exact location.  Quinlan says that the burial place of Graham and his men is a short distance back of the old school-house near the junction of Chestnut brook and the Papacton.  A lad named Paul Benson, in company with two other boys, were constructing a dam across the brook, when they dug up some bones.  These they took to  Neil Benson, who pronounced them human bones, and ordered the boys to take them back.  This so terrified them that they ran off, leaving the bones with Mr. Benson.  Quinlan adds that a log, that was cut on the battleground, when sawed into lumber, was found to contain eight bullets.


                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           
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